Apparatus for forming pneumatic tires.



M. A. DEBS. APPARATUS FOR FORMING PNEUMATIC TIRES.

I APPLICATION FILED-NOV.24,1913- I 1 117 803. Patented N0v.i7,1914.

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APPARATUS FOR FORMING PNEUMATIC TIRES.

APPLICATION TILED NOV.24.1913- Patented NW. 17, 1914.

Bees; 01 :s'e. IioiIIs,

COMPANY, F s11 Louis, MISSOUB.

MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR 0? o EHALF Te miseivie iioiiit I v A CORPORATION 01? Miss URI, TO THE B. .GOODRICH CGMPANY, 03* NEW YORK, N, Y., A CORPGRATIQN OF AND" mini AP?AEATUS FOR FORMING PNEUMATIC TIRES.

Application filed November 24, 1913.

ention relates to a tire epble for use in carrying out a .elal ing pneumatic tire casings he tire fabric is stretched before vulcanization of the rubber.

a c out my invention, the tire stl" are is built up on an samuiar core, the rubberized fabric elements except the innermost ply being Wrapped tightly onto saideeze. iuid under pressure is then introduced between the core and t e inhermost .ioi'ie element for the purpose of stretching i'he iahrio before the rubber in the raw tire structure is vuleenize i. The core completely fili'sj the raw the structure and the iiuid under pr ssure is forced between the tire and the core, the latter ing provided with a duct through which the fluid passes. Frior to this invention raw tir shsjve been eompletelyiilied with fluid under pres :e for the purpose of stretching: the e, ou according my imoioveiiient, th 1W tire is i by eo shots p oduce 021i" neces peratus, method of in which tcal: liliesnecesseiy to Til the -i Water a? other fluid before the fahiio ee 111s 2-: e to stretch. The second important advantage that 1181112111 quantity of Water may he forced between the core and the tire to moduoe the desired stretching action and during-thewilcehization all, or almost all,

. ofthesmtei "itilifbeeonverted into steam.

This is vei 'desifishievheea ture Specification of Letters Eatezzt.

Patented I? ll 7, 191

Serial Ho. 802,678.

water in the the during the vulchnization processf ,annular core is preferably through which water may he forced from the ti e by the lpressui'e j steam Within the tire; at the some time/providing passageways hrough which the; fluid under pressure may be primarily conducted to the perig ihery of the annular core or mandrel begin th stie section at the transverse .uiidd this oi. the fabric opposite tire; emdually forcing the the tread the from he s es of the core, and equalizng the stretching eetioiia the sides of the the structure, as 'Wlll be moi e fuliy described.

Anothei' object of the invention is to produce a eoilepsihle COlG or mandrel comprisintei'loclied with each ed be separated to perthe core fi'om the tire.

ing sections other acid ietus embodying the fezitt i, a portion of the core he,- tiori. ii is ately on line EE Y. ail View of eenneetiiig the I in making a iug oi she required iiito tom: parts, as seen being Aside at tangents compensate in Fig. L the outs to the axis of the sore an for the material removed, shims of filler plates e are interposed between the ends 036 .iorizontal section of a tire passing into the the core. In building'up a tire,

the sections. The sectional structure is therefore produced in the form of a true circle. I

Substantially T-shaped grooves are formed in the ends of each core section and the sections of the core are united by keys C seated in' said grooves. Each key C consists of a web 5 and flanges 6 and 7 at the ends of said web, the key 'being preferably of substantially I-shape in cross section. Each key is tapered, or of wedge form as seen in Fig. III, the smallest end being innermost in the core, and its flanges 7 are tapered to firmly hold the adjacent core section and to permit the ready removal of said core section; All of the'keys C have faces 7 which are parallel with each other, when the core sections are assembled as indicated by dotted lines 8, Fig. I. The keyv faces 7 may be parallel with the end faces of the core sections, but these faces are inclined with respect to the parallel faces 7, so that the sections B may be tightly wedged onto the keys. 9 are pins securing the keys to the sections A.

In removing the core sections the tread of the tire is struck at a point opposite one of the intermediate core sections Bio loosen said section from the wedge like keys. The core section B is movedalong the parallel *Faces 7 of the keys, in the direction 1116 1? cated by the dotted lines 8, Fig. I, and it will be noted that at the beginning of such movement the core is disengaged from the other faces of the keys C, and thereafter permitted to slide freely along the parallel facesT. Another important e ing movement of one of the lntermed ate sections B along the wedgelike keys does not impart-any movement to'the other core sections. This is important, ecause three of'the sections are rigidly connected together when the first section B is removed, and

breakage would occur if said sections were rocked or sprung to any degree, bythe movement of the fourth section along the wedges C. The different core sections may be hollow to lighten the structure, but their ends are preferably closed to prevent fluid from sections, and the ends of the keys C are preferably finished to conform to the shape of the inner and outer faces of layers of fabric 10 are placed on the periphery of the core, and firmly fitted to the sides of said core, the fabric in the inner layer being preferably unstretched, or substantially so, and the fabric in the outer layers being stretched. The usual beads 11 may be formed at the. inner edges of fabric in any suitable manner, and presser rings 12 may then be ap plied to the opposite sides of the tire. Raw rubber 13 is' applied to the outer face of the fabric, and the structure so produced is covered by a fabric warming 14, as seen in Fig. IV. The fabric is thus firmly pressed "eral ature is that the slid-' the escape of fluid from theinterior vof the tire.

Before the tire is vulcanized, hr at the beginning of the vulcanizing process, fluid 15' introduced-between the core and fabric'to place the fabrig threads under a degree' of' tension, except the fabric in theinner layer,

for the urpose oftaking up, an slack in the fabric, in the cnter layers,a ri to adjust the threads so that such fabric will Withstand the usual in'nertube pressure without yielding to any appreciable extent. The fluid is introduced through an angular-duct 15 leading from the inner circle of the core to the lowermost 'point on the bottom face of the core, (Fig. IV). A transverse grooye 16 leads from the lower end of the duct 15 to an annular groove-17 formed in the periphery of the core. The fluid under pressure passes from the duct-15, through the transverse groove 16 to the annular periphfabric begins at the center of the periphery of the core. As'the fluid continues to flow into the tire, the fabric is gradually'peeled from the sides of. the core and the stretching groove 17, and the stretching of the action continues along the si'des the tire.

I deem it an advantage to begin the stretching at-the middle of the fabric, as just described, for the reason that pressure is them.

equally distributed to the opposite sides of the tire, both sides being subjected to the same degree. of tension.

While it is mportant to b egin the stretching at the middle of the structure, I referabl form theinlet duct 15 as shown n-Fig. IV, so that it terminates at the lower face of the core, the object being to utilize this inlet duct as a drain duct in removingwatcr from the interior of the tire. r I

' The fluid introduced into the tire ispreferably water, and, as beforestated, only a small quantity of water is required to force the fabric away from the core. During the vulcanizing operation, the tire is heated and almost all of the ivater is turned intost eam; however, a small quantity of water may remain in the lower portion of the tire and this water must be. removed to secure the best results in curing the tire. A pipe 18, communicating with the duct 15, (Fig. I), provides for the delivery of fluid to the tire, and. the drainage of water from the lower portion of thetire, through the duct 15 into built up on the core, aspreviously' described,

and the fluid under pressure is forced through the duct to'expand the tire structure, forcing it a'wayfrom the core and into 130 engagement with the mold sections, as seen in Fig. V.

I claim l. A tire forming apparatus comprising an annular core upon which a tire structure having separable edges may be tightly wrapped and afterward stretched therefrom by the introduction of fluid between the an nular core and the tire, said. annular core having an outlet duct leading from its inner portion to its bottom face for the purpose of draining liquid from the bottom of the tire in response to fluid pressure in the tire, and means for preventing the escape of fluid under pressure at the separable edges of the tire. 4

2. A pneumatic tire forming apparatus comprising a core upon which the raw tire structure may be built, said core having a. peripheral passageway for the circulation of fluid between the periphery of the core and the inner face of the tire opposite its tread, so as to permit the fluid to circulate around the core at a point substantially opposite the tread of the tire thereby primarily stretching the middle portion of the tire and thereafter gradually stretching the sides of the tire, and the said core being provided with a passageway leading to said peripheral passageway.

3. A pneumatic tire forming apparatus comprising a core upon which the raw tire structure may be built, said core having a peripheral passageway for the circulation of fluid between the periphery of the core and the inner face of the tire opposite its tread, the said core being provided with a duct leading from the inner portion of the core to the bottom face thereof and communicating with the said peripheral passageway.

at. A pneumatic tire forming apparatus comprising a core upon'which the raw tire structure may be built, said core havinga peripheral passageway for the circulation of fluid between the periphery of the core and the inner face of the tire opposite its tread, the said core being provided with a.

along saio tangential faces of the wed scribed comprising segmental SQCL-lOIlS tapered wedges uni ing said sections. s

duct leading from the inner portion of =1 core to the bottom face thereof and a ti verse channel leading from said duct to said peripheral passageway.

5. A pneumatic tire forming apparatus comprising a core upon which the raw tire structure may be built, said core having an annular passageway formed around its periphery for the circulation of fluid between the periphery of the core and the inner face of the tire, the said core also having a passageWay for conducting fluid to said annular passageway,

6. A pneumatic tire formin appar comprising a core upon which the raw structure may be built tc be u stretched therefrom by the introduction cf fluid between the cor and tire, said core having an outlet duct leading frcni its inner port-ion to its bottom face for the purpose cf draining fluid from the lower portion of tire.

7. A core or mandrel of the character i scribed comprising segmental sections wedges uniting the ends cf said sections, s wedges having substantially parallel fac extending tangentially the core, and of the core sections being provided with stantially parallel faces to sl when the last named core see toward the center or the core.

8. A. core or man el. r tne wedges having substantially parallel fat and the ends of one the segmental s tions being provided with correspondirf faces so that the said section may be t along the wedges toward the center core without imparting movement to the other seer one.

A. lvloC/An'n Bl LINN: 

